Electronic documents. High-bandwidth connectivity. Wireless communications.
Innovations such as these have changed the workplace and our everyday
lives. Boeing is seeking to deploy these same technologies on the world's
most technologically advanced commercial airplane: the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
These technologies will help give the 787 a competitive advantage by improving
operational efficiencies, reducing maintenance costs and dramatically
improving the traveling experience for passengers.

"It wasn't a single specific technology that brought us here; it
was the results of a series of advances that gave us an environment the
whole world could leverage," said Chris Kettering, e-Enabled program
director for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We're about to see a similar
revolution on board the 787 and other fully e-Enabled airplanes."

The history of e-Enabled airplanes goes back to the 1990s, when Boeing
began work on an electronic library system for the 777. The ELS proposed
to expand on the 777's onboard maintenance system and maintenance access
terminal by offering flight crews and mechanics dual side displays, an
electronic library cabinet, connections for portable computers and fiber-optic
gatelink connectivity. Despite limited initial airline interest, Boeing
continued developing the necessary tools and technology—whose value
was eventually recognized by airlines.

The company's investment and the motivation of its employees resulted
in a number of product launches through the next decade: the Electronic
Flight Bag, Connexion by Boeing, Wireless Ramplink, Jeppesen electronic
charts, Boeing Digital Technical Documents, and online support through
MyBoeingFleet.com.

The EFB and elements of the Connexion by Boeing system are standard features
on the 787. Both products required the development of ground infrastructures
and management tools, wireless/satellite ground services, and installation
of onboard computers, networks and displays.

The e-Enabling products on the 787 will be highly integrated with the
onboard maintenance, dataload and crew information systems, offering airlines
maintenance-cost-reduction opportunities.

"The benefit in allowing the airline back-office team to remotely
deploy software, parts, data, charts and manuals to airplanes with minimal
hands-on mechanic involvement is clear," said Dan Moore, 787 manager
of Avionics e-Enabling. "Airline engineers and maintenance planners
also seem to like the benefits of directly receiving large data files
from every airplane in the fleet without having to send the mechanic out
to [download or retrieve] discs."

The 787's e-Enabling advantage goes beyond benefits for mechanics and
flight crews. In the cabin, Boeing is deploying a wireless in-flight entertainment
(IFE) system that delivers video content to each passenger screen without
bulky wiring. This offers substantial benefits to airlines that traditionally
need to remove and replace the IFE wiring when reconfiguring cabins. The
system saves maintenance and also enables long-term technology growth.

With the crew information system, airlines have the option to include
a wireless network for maintenance access. Mechanics on the 787 will use
maintenance control displays that are Web-based and portable to access
onboard maintenance data, initiate tests and review maintenance documents.